Lubricator for elevator guide-rails.



G. S. LE BARON. LUBRIGATOR FOR ELEVATOR GUIDE RAILS.

'APPLIOATION FILED SEPT. 27, 1913.

Patented Nov. 24, 1914.

CHARLES S. LE BARON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

LUBBIGATOR FOR ELEVATOR GUIDE-RAILS.

Specificationof Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 24., 1914..

Application filed September 27, 1913. Serial No. 792,233.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES S. LE BARON, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York city, New York, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Lubricators for Elevator Guide-Rails, of which the following is a clear, full, and exact description.

This invention relates to lubricators for elevator guide rails, and has among its objects the lubrication of the guide rails at intervals or continuously; a provision of means for taking up shock in the lubricator, particularly when the lubricator is normally out of contact with the rail to be lubricated; the provision of an improved float device, and also the provision of a simple, eflicient and practical lubricator for the purpose mentioned.

These being among the general objects of the invention, the same consists of certain features of construction and combination of parts to be hereinafter described and then claimed with reference to the accompanying drawings illustrating suitable embodiments of the invention and in which- Figure 1 is a detail side elevation of the part of an elevator car and a rail, in connection with which is shown one form of the improved lubricator, the body of the oil can being broken away to show the interior; Fig. 2 is an enlarged section on the line 2-2 Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is aodetail perspective view of the upper portion of the standard which supports the oil can; and Fig. 4 is a view illustrating a modification.

Referring to the drawings, the invention is shown as applied for the purpose of transferring the lubricant to the edge of a guide rail for an elevator car, but the invention is also applicable for lubricating the guide rails for the counterweights. The rail 1, the car 2 and the shoe 3 on the car'may be of any suitable or well-known construction. To hold the lubricant which is to be a lubricating oil or fluid, an oil can 4 having a nozzle orspout 5 is provided. The nozzle projects outwardly fromthe upper portion of the oil can, substantially at right angles to the can. A wick 6 is provided, the lubrieating end of which projects a slight distance beyond the outer end o the'nozzle 5.

The oil can is supported by an improved form, of standard to be described, and for supporting the latter in substantially upright position suitable means are attached directly to the shoe 8. For this purpose there is illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 a clip 7, tapped through the side arms of which are binding screws 7 which are set against the sides ofthe shoe 3 to secure said clip in position. Said clip is provided with a horizontal supporting bracket 8 on which rests the improved standard. The latter comprises a base piece 9 preferably of cast metal, which has a screw neck 10 for receiving a nut 11, whereby by passing the screw neck 10 through a notch or slot 12 in thebracket 8 and tightening up the nut, the improved standard may be fixed in position. The upper portion of the base piece 9 is provided with a vertical recess or notch 13, into which the lower end of a length of spring metal plate 14 is inserted, and secured rigidly in position by means of rivets 15. The springplate 14 normally stands vertically, parallel with the shoe 3 if the can is not to'be inclined. The upper end of the spring-plate 14 carries a metallic clamp or split collar 16, the two parts being secured together by providing on the clamp 16 a depending portion 17 having a lower recess or notch 18 into which the upper end of the spring plate is inserted and rigidly secured to said clamp by rivets 19. Said clamp may be loosened or tightened by means of a thumb nut 20, which passes through the upwardly pro ecting portions of the clamp. The nozzle 5 of theoil can is set within the clamp and may be adjusted therein so as to set the position of the wick relatively to the rail 1. If the elevator shoes be rigid, the normal position of the protruding end of the wick is set at such distance away from the edge 1 of the guide rail as shall be about the distance of the bottom of the groove inthe shoe 3 from said edge 1. The protruding end of the wick 6 being therefore in the case of rigid shoes out of contact with the edge 1 when the shoe is out of contact, it will be seen that the lubricator is supported in a springy manner so that the spring 14 acts as a shock absorber, if from any cause the .luloricator be struck by a falling object or otherwise.- When the car is running, the

wick 6 will much of the time be out of contact with the rail, but the wabbling of the car at times will cause the protruding end of the wick to be pressed against the edge 1 of the rail. The spring member also acts as a shock absorber, although in somewhat less degree, in a case where the lubricator is supported on a spring-pressed shoe so that its wick is in continuous contact with the rail. But, whether the lubricator be mounted on a rigid shoe or on a spring-pressed shoe, it should always be set so that the end of the wick is substantially on a line with the inner face 01"- the shoe or that face which works against the edge of the rail. This fixation of the working end of the wick causes a saving in wick, and keeps the lubricating end of the wick in good working condition so that it will not wear or become gummed up as would be the case if there were a forced continuous contact with the rail. The protruding end of the wick is fed by the capillary action and is always in a condition to lubricate the rail.

As shown in Fig. l, the spring member 14!: is slightly bent forward toward the rail 1. This results in tilting the spout 5 so that it has a downward inclination. The effect is that the force of gravity will retain any drops of oil on the lower edge of the can spout, and they cannot run back along the spout and onto the standard. The same effect can be secured by inclining the bracket 8, without bending the spring member.

Preferably the oil can is provided with a guard or stop device associated with the float. To this end the can is provided with a screw top 21 from which depends-a guide tube for the float 23. The float is pro- *vided with a stem 24 which is guided through the screw top 21 and is provided at its upper end with an indicator button 25. The legs of an inverted Li-shaped guard 26 are soldered or secured to the screw top, the guard standing in upright position so that its downwardly extending arms are at both sides of the guide stem 2%. The length of the said guard is preferably such that the indicator button which abuts against the bridge piece of said guard does not move downwardly until the level of the oil in the can has reached about one-half down from tl e can top. Then the float moves downwardly in the guide tube and the indicator iutton moves within the guard.

Various forms of shoe clips or brackets may be employed for supporting the lubricator. A modified form is shown in Fig. i, and this consists of a plate 27 having slotted arms :28, through the slots of which said screws 29 are passed and screwed into the top of the shoe 3. To receive the neck 10 at the bottom of the improved standard, a slot 30 is provided at the inner edge of said plate.

In practice, although the lubricant is ap-- plied in the first instance to one edge of the guide rail. it spreads onto the side of the rail due to the rubbing of the parts upon the rail. Of course the improved lubricator can be applied to any part of a car to which it can be attached in desired working position.

lVhat I claim is 1. In a lubricator for elevator guides, the combination of a standard, means for securing its lower end to a support, a clamp at the upper end of said standard, and an oil can containing a wick and having a spout through which said wick extends, said spout being adjustably held by said clamp, where-;

by said can may be adjusted to and from said standard and the said wick may be set normally out of contact with the guide so as to be caused by the movement of the elevator car to touch the guide at intervals.

2. in a lubricator for elevator guides, the combination of a standard comprising a substantial length of spring metal, and a clamp at the upper end thereof, said clamp and said spring metal being rigidly secured together, means for securing the lower end of said standard to a support, and an oil can containing a wick and having a spout through which said wick extends, said spout being adjustably held by said clamp, whereby said can may be adjusted to and from said standard.

3. 1n a lubricator for elevator guides, the combination of a hase piece, a substantially upright member of spring metal, riveted to said base piece, a clamp riveted to the upper end of said. upright, said parts constituting a standard, and an oil can having a spout which is secured by said clamp.

at. The combination of a guide rail of an elevator shaft, a part guided by said rail. a resilient springy standard secured to said guided part, an oil can provided with a spout, clamping means at the upper end of said standard and clamping said spout, and a wick in said can protruding from said spout, said spout being adjustable in said clamp to set the protruding end of the wick in a fixed position substantially in line with the inner face of the shoe.

5. The combination of a guide rail or" an elevator shaft. a part guided by said rail, a resilient springy standard secured to said guided part, an oil can provided with a spout, clamping means at the upper end of said standard and clamping said spout, said spout being inclined downwardly from the can, and a wick in said can protruding from said spout.

Signed at New York city, N. Y., this 25 day of September 1913.

CHARLES S. LE BARON.

Vv itnesses Gno. L. WPTEELOGK, BEATRICE Mrnvrs.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

